Samsung first to market in Australia with 4K, Ultra HD Blu-Ray player

Samsung Electronics Australia has announced the local availability of the Samsung 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. If you’ve got a 4K TV and are searching for new content sources, then it looks like we’re going one more round with optical media. The UHD Blu-ray player went on sale from Australian retailers last Thursday, the 5th May 2016 and will cost you A$599 RRP.

While other manufacturers have announced they will released UHD Blu-ray players, Samsung takes the title of Australia’s first available Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

The Samsung UBD K8500 delivers the amazing picture quality from a 4k Blu-ray disc and includes HDR support, so if you’ve ponied up the cash for a SUHD TV, you’ll now have another source (to add to Netflix HD) to get content from. As we know, Australia’s internet is improving with the NBN, but there remains plenty of locations across the country, where the prospect of downloading hundreds of GB for a movie is still a dream of the future.

In terms of design, Samsung’s Ultra HD Blu-ray player is a sleek, charcoal box with a premium feel, which will be at home in your high-end home entertainment setup.

“Samsung is delighted to be the very first to bring to the Australian market, an entirely new home theatre platform that will set the benchmark for home entertainment in this country,” said Carl Rose, Vice President, Consumer Electronics, Samsung. “With stunning UHD 4K resolution, Samsung’s Ultra HD Blu-ray Player offers up to four times the resolution of conventional Blu-ray players.

“Samsung is committed to providing the best possible technology so our customers can enjoy the highest standards of Ultra HD content, whether the format is digital or in the form of Blu-ray discs,” Rose added.

The Key features of the UBD K8500 include:

·Incredible Cinema Quality at Home: With HDR (High Dynamic Range) technology, the Ultra HD Blu-ray player puts the movie set in your living room, delivering dynamic Ultra High Definition content in exceptional quality on Samsung’s HDR-capable SUHD TVs. Experience sharp contrasts and brightness with deeper blacks and brighter whites. HDR content will be available in Australia from May 2016.

·Enjoy More Vivid and Breathtaking Colour: The Ultra HD Blu-ray player offers twice the colour range and up to 64 times the colour expressions of Samsung’s existing conventional Blu-ray players on Samsung’s HDR-capable SUHD TVs.

·Bring Your TV to Life with UHD Upscaling: The Ultra HD Blu-ray player lets you upscale all your content into higher definition video for display on UHD TVs, giving you crystal-clear images and great resolution. Now you can enjoy your favourite movies in an immersive and quality viewing experience.

·Outstanding 4K Streaming Service: Stream some of the latest 4K movies to your living room on demand, and access content from online providers such as Netflix as well as your favourite offline shows, by connecting your Ultra HD Blu-ray player to your home internet network.

·The Ultimate Universal Disc Player: The Ultra HD Blu-ray player has outstanding compatibility, letting you play the CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray discs that you have collected over the years.

·Elegant and Modern Curved Design: Sleek and modern design to look beautiful in any Australian home and complement Samsung’s SUHD TV range. With a unique brushed design, Samsung’s Ultra HD Blu-ray player gives your living room a modern finishing touch.

Samsung Electronics Co also announced today that its UBD-K8500 Ultra HD Blu-ray player has been certified as ‘Ultra HD Premium’ by the UHD Alliance (UHDA).